Abstract (in English)

This article covers some of the principles, plans, and
results of the reconstruction of the historic centre of the
capital of Hungary. "Chapter I" gives a resumé of the
most important items in the history of the city, outlining
its importance, its historic and geographic characteristics.
"Chapter II" explains the problem of reconstruction,
beginning with historic data resulting from the development
of the city, on the one hand, and, on the other
hand, the town-planning data of its present condition.
The historic data include : the historical importance of
Ruda as the historic nucleus of the capital and its
central situation, the ravages of World War II, and the change in its social system and social structure. Among
the town-planning data are the following : the situation
of the district in the structural whole of the capital, the
network of streets, the lay-out and division of the land
which has been preserved since the Middle Ages with
few modifications, the disposition, the condition of
housing, the situation of public services and public
establishments. "Chapter III" gives information on
the most important characteristics of the principles and
methods of restoration. One of the most important
principles is that the life of the city which has continued
without interruption since the Middle Ages should go on, without its being treated as a "museum district",
but organically integrated into the body of the present
capital as a functioning district. Another fundamental
principle for historic centres as well as for certain historic
buildings, is that they should be kept as means of
expressing the continuity of historical development and
not only of a certain period. As for the integration
of new elements into a historical framework : the protection
of historic centres entirely expresses the opinions
and needs of the present day. It is the opinion of
to day's man that should be expressed in the solution
of architectural tasks of the present day. What can be
preserved where destroyed houses once stood is only the
structure and morphological character of the city.
"Chapter IV" concerns town-planning and reconstruction
projects, and gives information on the methods of
town-planning projects carried out up to the present.
The detailed urban plan of the Historic centre of
Buda has been based on the co-operation of architects,
town-planners, archaeologists, and a large number of
other specialists. Preliminary work was gotten under
way in the early fifties and the plan was approved in 1958. The projection of the detailed town-plan prepared
to a scale of 1 :100, and based on preliminary studies,
provided a more than usually detailed solution of the
architectural and town-planning problems of the district.
The following supplements were added to the plan :
the coherent surveying of the groundfloors of the whole
district, to a scale of 1:100 , the surveying of the
facades on all streets and squares to a scale of 1 :200
and the surveying of alI facades to the same scale, then,
alter the usual town-planning studies such as that of the
silhouette of the City and the view of the whole from
the outside, of public lighting, of paving streets, etc.
Finally, "Chapter V" gives an account of the most
important results of reconstruction. The revivification
and renewal of the city left in ruins alter the war has
been a success. The historic district of Buda is, at the
present day, a part of the city, organically integrated
into the body of the capital. Its century-old houses
provide, after reconstruction, the framework of moderm
housing, to which a large number of cultural institutions,
intimate restaurants and tourist attractions give a characteristic atmosphere.